Philips Digital Compact Cassette recorder repair DCC 951

I missed out on the whole DCC thing. I was a big fan of minidisc...

Anyway, this found it's way into my possession....

It's a DCC 951, dating from 1994. It doesn't work. It's totally dead.


Off with the lid ...

Poking around with a multimeter proves there's AC on the output of the transformer. Time to examine those "wickman" fuses on the rear PCB...











Which involves removal of the back panel, which is easy enough... a few torx screws, and bending these little tabs out of the way ...











One on each side...

.. and lifting the panel off. The mounting screws can now be removed from the PCB, and it can be hinged up without disconnecting anything...










Sadly the wickman fuses are all intact ... but the regulators on the heatsink are horribly dry-jointed, and a quick solder up on these, and the mains input socket and switch (which are also looking poor) , solves the problem!











Great front loading mech... really smooth!

A conventional analogue tape can be used (analogue only, sadly), and goes in with the exposed side forward. Sadly I don't posses a DCC casette to see what the digital bit's like.

I clean up the tape path, and change the loading belt (it was OK, but I had a new one to hand!)
DON'T DEMAGNETISE THE HEADS!




Here's a few other shots...

... now to find a cassette ... anyone?

It's (another) Arduino Christmas.

Here's a super simple persistance-of-vision display.

Drive the neighbours mad with 8 static leds, that when they move their head, or drive past, delivers a festive message!

Ingredients.

1 Arduino board (I used a 3.3V 8MHz mini, but anything will do)
8 LED's (if using a 3.3V board, make sure you have enough voltage to light the LEDs!)
8 current limiting resistors

Connect each LED to pins 0-7 (noting 0 and 1 are RX and TX) via a current limiting resistor, and ground.

Load the code from https://github.com/andydoswell/christmas-POV

and enjoy the festive season!

And here's Stuart W's version!